Cayuga Lake Scenic Byway

Drive Cayuga Lake’s gorgeous scenic byway and immerse yourself in a glacial landscape carved thousands of years ago. Your 86-mile journey will take you through communities rich in history and tradition. It’s all here just waiting for you, year-round, to explore!

You’ll experience the landscape from the south end’s hill country to the north end’s 9,800-acre wetland flats. See breathtaking waterfalls cascading down the steep hillsides replenishing the sparkling water of Cayuga Lake. Farms and vineyards line gently rolling slopes cultivating a bounty of crops that are transformed into award-winning food and drink. Bald eagles and osprey ply the waters of Cayuga Lake for their next meal of freshwater fish, prized by human anglers alike.

Once the frontier of the United States, the Cayuga Lake region was home to progressive cultural movements and industrial innovations. These stories are shared at the many community museums around the Cayuga Lake basin. Celebrate the Women’s Rights Movement with its founders Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. Learn about the challenges slaves faced as they navigated the Underground Railroad north to freedom. Take a trip on the Erie Canal and marvel at the construction of this early transportation highway.

Award-winning wineries and restaurants, thought-provoking lectures, exciting theater productions, miles and miles of hiking trails through the glacial landscape and dozens of music genre options abound in our little slice of the world. There’s so much to do and experience.